These are the Thursday field notes for 25 June 2026. Monday's roundup flagged the new 14-day pre-commencement rule; this piece looks past that single clause at the full Employer's Circular No. 2/2026 regime — now ten days into force — and what the combined changes mean in practice for employers planning HRDF-claimable AI training.
What's new
- Circular No. 2/2026 is more than the 14-day rule. Beyond requiring grant approval at least 14 calendar days before training starts, the circular removes the ability to modify an approved grant, removes the appeals route, and enforces a strict five-day window to answer any HRD Corp query before the application lapses. Approved training dates must now be honoured exactly; a date change is treated as non-compliance and the claim is rejected. Source: HRD Corp Employer's Circular No. 2/2026; analysis by Nexus Consultancy and E2 Workforce Consulting.
- ATD courses enter the 100% claimable list. Thirteen Association for Talent Development (ATD) certificate courses are now recognised as HRD Corp 100% claimable through authorised local providers in 2026, a signal that outcome-based, internationally benchmarked course design is being rewarded. Source: ATD announcement via Yahoo Finance.
- AI training rates hold steady. Applied AI, agentic AI and AI-for-managers programmes remain claimable under SBL-Khas, with group trainer caps up to RM10,000 per day and up to 100% subsidy for SMEs under 200 staff. Source: registered provider directories including Pertama Partners and Freemind Works.
Why it matters for your training claims
The pattern worth noticing is that Circular No. 2/2026 converts HRDF grant administration from a forgiving process into an unforgiving one. Previously, a wrong date, a changed trainer, or a venue swap could be fixed with a modification or recovered through an appeal. Both of those safety nets are gone. From now on the grant you submit is effectively the grant you must execute, exactly as approved, or forfeit the claim. For AI cohorts — which often shift because a key facilitator is double-booked or a department reschedules around a delivery deadline — this is a meaningful change in risk.
The five-day one-query deadline compounds this. If HRD Corp raises a single clarification and your processing officer is on leave or the email is missed, the application expires with no recourse. In practice this means SBL-Khas applications can no longer be delegated to a single person without backup, and the inbox tied to your HRD Corp account needs to be monitored daily during any open application window.
The ATD recognition points the other way — toward reward rather than restriction. It confirms that HRD Corp is steering claimable spend toward courses with defined learning objectives and assessment, not attendance-only sessions. Employers whose AI training still rests on sign-in sheets should read the two developments together: the compliance bar is rising at the same time as the documentation bar.
What to do next
- Lock training dates before you submit, not after. Treat the approved date as fixed and build in at least 15 to 18 calendar days of lead time so the 14-day window clears comfortably.
- Assign a named backup to monitor the HRD Corp account inbox every working day while an application is open, so a one-query request is never missed inside its five-day window.
- Ask your provider how each AI course documents learning outcomes and assessment, not just attendance, and align your next cohort with the outcome-based standard HRD Corp is now rewarding.
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